10 Tasty Holiday Foods That Contain Vitamins

A tradition that started following the Civil War in the South, revelers ring in the New Year with a meal meant to bring good luck and prosperity. Whether it brings financial wealth is debatable, but black-eyed peas and collard greens certainly bring a certain wealth of health.

The two foods are often eaten together on New Year's Day, seen as symbols of coins and cash.

And while collard greens are ridiculously good for you, don't let that overshadow the health benefits of black-eyed peas.

A half-cup (118-gram) serving of the peas provides 15 percent RDA of vitamin A and 10 percent RDA calcium, but the real health benefits come from its fiber content. One serving provides 15 percent of your daily recommended amount of fiber [source: USDA].

And that concludes our list of 10 tasty holiday foods that have vitamins. I hope it has inspired your taste buds and given you an idea of what good-for-you treats are available during the holidays.

Why black-eyed peas?

Historically in the South, black-eyed peas were grown as feed for livestock. As such, General Sherman ignored the fields on his march to the Atlantic Ocean, instead burning more important crops. Thus the remaining black-eyed peas became a common food source for the Confederacy [source: Library of Congress].